Ilen 1st Ranger Regiment (The Redhawks)
The 1st Ilen Ranger Regiment, colloquially known as the “Redhawks”, is a light infantry regiment tasked with extended mission, special operations, duty in the Gothic Sector of Segmentum Obscurus. While nominally affiliated with the industrial world of Ile and occasionally garrisoned there, the Redhawks are a composite unit that has had troops from various locations rotated in for duty (particularly as casualties mount). They are often used as an advanced force and specialize in airborne / air assaults, direct action operations, raids, spaceport seizure, recovery of personnel and special equipment, and support of general purpose forces (GPF). The unit is primarily composed of veteran soldiers and joining the Redhawks requires a 3 month period of training on the stormy savannahs and jungles of Ile. Organization The regiment has a little over 1,500 active combatants, excluding support personnel. It is formed into three battalions with an attached regimental headquarters (which has a commissar and their staff). Each battalion has a regimental headquarters company, 3 rifle platoons, and one weapons platoon. The rifle platoons are composed of 3, 9 man, rifle squads and 1 machine gun squad. The weapons platoon is composed of 3, 2 man, teams: 2 mortar, 2 recoilless anti-tank rifle, one missile launcher, and 3 teams of snipers (one sniper and one spotter). Notable Campaigns [[Extermination of Hollenschlund|'Extermination of Höllenschlund']]:''' A large pocket of Rangdan were discovered. They had ravaged an imperial world, conquered the entire system, and were breeding to start another large crusade that would have rivaled that of the xenos forces during the Rangdan Xenocides. A massive number of Imperial forces undertook the campaign of extermination on the Höllenschlund system. The rangers arrived late but undertook several deadly missions including helping the Grey Eyes chapter capture the infamously strong lunar defense station Eisenwand. During that operation they commandeered the weapons after the base had been cleared out and turned the station’s weapons on the Rangdan while defending it from being recaptured. Colonel Basir Jaja, who was senior to then Colonel Naomi Samuels of the 9th Neo-Jerionite regiment, tried to assume command of Imperial Guard forces at the time of his arrival but after a spat Samuels was given the brevet rank of General for the campaign. This is something of a sour spot for Basir. Leadership '''Colonel Basir Jaja: The current leader of the Redhawks is 52 year old Colonel Basir Jaja. He was born on Ile and is a member of the Arin caste. His grandfather was selected for service in the Makemake space marine chapter and he still serves as a sergeant in the 3rd company. Despite his honored lineage Basir did not rise to his position without help; he is, and always has been, an agent for a separate movement on Ile. They used their position within the government to aid his advancement. This movement, the Storm Bloods, are a powerful political force within Ile court politics and the heir apparent is sympathetic to them. They believe the Imperium’s influence has lead to a degeneration in society and point to every societal ill as evidence. Basir grew up disliking the poor on his planet and that has been fanned into a fanatical dislike of gangers, the poor, and anybody of the Kekere caste. Commissar Sebastian Kadavergehorsam: A native of Armageddon, Commissar Kadavergehorsam was selected particularly for his familiarity with the natives, causing him to stick out like a sore thumb and be unable to form attachments to his unit. He is a brutal drunk of a man with a penchant for violently taking it out on undisciplined soldiers. Despite this, he is the brightest military minds in the regiment, if not the sector. His savant-like prowess was caught the eye of the Schola Progenium but his drinking prevented him from higher ambitions. Captain Colonel Citlali Kone: Is the commander of the 1st battalion from Ile. She is an exceptionally well connected, both of her parents were part of the Olori ruling caste and she herself was promoted to the Oke caste for inadequate reasons. She looks down on all enlisted officers and those from lower castes. She uses her family connections to hide the fact that she is a psyker. She takes drugs to suppress it and has had her files classified at a very high level and is given special permission to not be inspected by Imperial agents. She isn’t the most competent commander but she can pull her own weight and her connections help the regiment get additional funding from Ile. She feels the sway of chaos now and then but this only fuels her hatred for it. She has been known to execute men under her command for even joking about the ruinous powers and everyone knows not to mention the name of chaos god in her presence. Captain Colonel Tajeddigt Okereke: The 2nd battalion commander is only 21 years old but has had such an exceptional career it was impossible for them not to promote her. Her combat prowess is second to none and her military mind is almost a match for Commissar Kadavergehorsam’s. The two play chess regularly, though she's only beat him twice. She’s hilarious to talk to and, though she is inbred (her parents were siblings, much to her shame), she has become the regiment’s golden child. She is an able commander on the ground who is famous for her ability to adapt to the unexpected. Captain Almas Yeboah: The commander of the 3rd battalion is a 48 year old, completely hairless, dwarf that Commissar Kadavergehorsam hates. Almas was exposed to a chemical agent during an attack by a criminal separatist faction when he was a child that stopped his growth and killed almost all of his hair follicles. After his recovery he swore his dedication to the Imperium and, against all odds, made it though Imperial Guard training and later ranger training. He is not a titanic force on the battlefield but his calm, level-headedness, and steely determination in the face of insurmountable odds make him an exceptional commander. He has a unique, exceptionally creative, and unexpected approach to things that earned him the nickname “Unexpected Almas”. Appearance Despite its name, the regiment wears green and tan most of the time. They alternate between carapace armor and flak jackets, depending on the mission. The regiment does not have enough carapace armor for all its troops so they tend to reserve it for direct engagements. They are a rugged bunch and improvise a lot of their equipment to suit the terrain they are on. Each carry with them a coin with a red hawk in their pocket to pay their toll in the afterlife. Ile Rangers.png Ahmed Aldoori .jpg Henry lam.jpg Complete Roster A complete roster of all 1,541 combat personnel for the Ilen 1st Ranger Regiment can be found here.Category:Ile